


Seven Years

by orangefriday



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: a little ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 04:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21229559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangefriday/pseuds/orangefriday
Summary: Tumblr Ask: I have headcannon that Nico was the one who got link out of bike shop and back into medicine.





	Seven Years

Nico doesn’t think the airplane would let him carry on a bike but here he is, gripping the handles of some super sleek expensive bike on Venice Beach and trying to act casual as he sneaks glances at the typical beach bro talking up a girl in a tight one-piece.

He’d heard of Dr. Atticus Lincoln, or Link as everyone seems to call him, way up in Baltimore. About the orthopaedic surgeon that got up and disappeared into sunny California despite doing amazing work. He wonders how anyone could give up building titanium bones and shooting pins into the tibial plateau for standing behind a desk in a sweaty tank top.

“I ride from Santa Monica down to the boardwalk every day,” Link says, leaning forward on the counter as he flashes a big toothy smile at the girl. She looks like she’s about to jump on to him with the way she stares almost hungrily back at him. “Maybe you’ve seen me?”

Nico would’ve gagged if he probably wasn’t just as desperate as the girl to get to know Link.

They talk for what seems like an eternity. Her giggling at every toss of Link’s golden hair. Him completely effective with that wink of his. Nico files that move into the back of his head, thinking it might come in handy later on.

She finally leaves, wheeling a bike that Nico’s sure she’s not going to ride. Link slams shut the cash register with his hip and waves at her as she leaves, still giggling.

“And _that,_ is how you make a _sale.” _Link’s talking to him, Nico realizes, so he gives the other man a polite smile and nod. He feigns interest in the bike in front of him, picks at the price tag and quickly puts it down. _A thousand bucks?_ Maybe he’s in the wrong business.

“Anything in particular I can help you with, man?” Link says, walks around the counter towards him. It takes a lot for Nico not to visibly swallow, nervousness building up in his throat. It doesn’t help that Link is all gold and glistening and typically _Californian_ and Nico, after years of suspicion, proven to himself just a few months ago that he is, indeed, gay as fuck.

Why, oh, why did Nico think it was a good idea to use his reading break to fly all the way down here to meet someone who’s probably given up on medicine forever? What did he think would happen? That Link would be so moved by Nico’s grand gesture that he’d go back to surgery? What’s so special about Nico? He’s not even halfway through med school, hasn’t started clinical rotations or even met a real patient.

Somehow Nico manages a shrug, some form of a crooked smirk and says, “Not if you’re planning to take me in as your fellow in seven years.”

_Wow_.

Link’s eyebrows shoot up and looks a bit shocked. But not as much as Nico who’s sure his own eyes are about to pop out and roll shamefully onto the floor in front of Link. He thinks he’s going to faint. Where the _fuck_ did that come from? The heat must be frying his brain to mush that it’s just letting his mouth word vomit whatever brazenly bold garbage it’s thinking.

Nico starts, stammering, almost knocks over a bike as he raises his hands in front of him, “I-I mean, I— Shit, man, I didn’t mean to say that.“

“Hey.” And now Link’s laughing. “Hey, it’s all good.” He lays a heavy hand on Nico’s shoulder to calm him down. He’s scared to look at Link. “It’s chill. I’m just… surprised. I didn’t think I’d meet anyone here who knew me from… before.”

Nico lets out a much needed breath and stuffs his hands in his pockets. If Link knew how Nico knew… let’s just say it involved a lot of booze, a few handies to convince that jerk in comp sci and one of Nico’s not-so finest moments.

He settles to avoid that explanation altogether and hopes Link doesn’t question him further. “Well, I saw that total joint repair you did at Hopkins. I can’t believe a kid that age could have such a diseased knee.”

“Oh yeah, that was gnarly. Nobody wanted to touch that thing.”

“Yeah, my gross anatomy prof said it was one of the worst he’s ever seen. And you were just a fellow!” Nico finally dares to look up at Link. There’s something like excitement dancing in Link’s eyes, but just as Nico finishes his sentence, it falls away into a frown. Nico continues though, softly, hoping he hasn’t touched a sore spot, “I think total joints are so cool. You start with something so broken, almost beyond repair, and then finish with a straight and shiny new joint. I didn’t even know that was possible. Not until Kinney showed us that procedure.”

“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” Link trails off, head down. It gets quiet. The pause turning uncomfortable before Link suddenly knocks a fist against the bike between them. “So, you thinkin’ of buyin’ a ride today, man?”

Nico’s the one frowning now, cocks his head to the side as he takes in the wide, too-fake smile that Link’s flashing him.

What happened? How could anyone leave ortho for _this?_

Thankfully this time, Nico doesn’t say it out loud. Just shakes his head and thanks Link for his time. Thinks about professing his ridiculous, fruitless quest to convince some stranger to hammer bones with him in the future but he doesn’t. Says it was nice to meet an orthopaedic surgeon in real life.

Just before Nico’s out the door, Link calls out to him.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

Nico holds the door open, the jingle of the doorbell mixing with the heat and noise from the beach as he stands at the threshold.

“Nico. Nico Kim.”

Link smiles. “See you in seven years, Nico.”

Nico’s shocked but smiles. Nods and is out the door before he makes a bigger fool of himself. And just starts _running, _in sandals, unsure of how to release the adrenaline and nervousness that had been building up ever since he entered that bike shop. A smile so wide on his face he’s sure he looks crazy.

Seven years. He’ll work his ass off for the next seven years. And even harder when he finally gets to work under Dr. Atticus Link.

Nico can’t wait.


End file.
